1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for lifting boats onto a boat carrier
2. Description of Related Art
Rowing shells and other boats are carried on boat trailers or other types of carriers that have several levels of racks adapted to securely hold and transport the boats. In order to safely raise the boats onto the sections of the boat carrier, they are raised by hand or are placed on the forks of one or more separate manual lifts. These manual lifts have a number of problems that have not been addressed in the prior art. Several of the problems associated with the manual lift stem from the lift base using the ground for its support. The first problem created is due to the operator having to transport the manual lift in order to use it at the boat carrier destination as well as at the initial loading area. To be able to transport the manual lift, the operator needs to raise it from the ground to the boat carrier and, at the destination location, move it from the boat carrier back down to the ground. This forces the operator to spend the extra time and effort to load, secure, detach and unload the manual lift from the boat carrier. The manual lift is often heavier than the boat since it is a metal structure needing enough strength to hold a boat while allowing ground support for balance of itself and the boat. The second problem associated with the manual lift using the ground for support, is the inconsistency of the ground cover supporting the manual lift. The manual lift, having wheels for horizontal movement, will not roll easily in a variety of ground cover including gravel, stone, sand, grass, and dirt. Another safety issue relating to the manual lift being on the ground is the levelness of the ground supporting the manual lift. If the ground is sloped too much, the center of gravity becomes a major issue as the height of the boat in the raised position is increased.
Another problem associated with the manual lift of the prior art is that at least two lifts are needed to raise the boat safely, because of balance issues. This means that an operator must position the boat near the trailer, and maneuver both manual lifts into position on the side opposite the trailer. After positioning the boat on the two manual lifts, ideally one operator is needed for each manual lift in order to synchronously raise the boat. Even then, the operators must match their cranking speed by continually adjusting to match their rate to the other operator.